Michael LoPresti of The Lighthouse and the Whaler plays and sings after the rain cleared up at the River stage. Lighthouse and the Whaler kicked the festival back up at the River Stage at 4 p.m. (Photo: Madison Schmidt)

Hearing bands I was excited to see play their hits: Bunbury had a great lineup this year, so I had a nice list of bands to check out. It's so much fun when the whole crowd sings and dances along with a song like "Harlem" by New Politics or "My Body" by Young the Giant; that energy makes for moments to remember long after Bunbury ends.

Finding new music: While gearing up for the festival, I came across Family & Friends. I immediately loved their heartfelt indie-folk sound, so it was fun to see them play their first city on their first-ever tour. (And hey, if they make it big, I'll be able to say, "I saw them when.") And I'd never heard ZZ Ward before her Sunday evening set, but she and her band killed it on the main stage with their funky, bluesy sound. Discovering new music to listen to later is part of what makes a big festival so much fun.

Big performances: The headliners really brought it this year with over-the-top performances. For the weekend's big finale, The Flaming Lips came out on stage with a mushroom and a rainbow, and things just got weirder after that. (Example: Wayne Coyne's costume -- someone near me asked, "What is he wearing?" The reply: "What isn't he wearing??")

Even bands that weren't headlining put on big, high-energy shows: David Boyd of New Politics came out break-dancing, doing back flips and walking handstands, and ultimately climbing the scaffolding. Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant bounced around the stage and crowd surfed while the rest of the band made blue smoke come from their instruments.

#Cincylove: I was recently in Austin, where I grumbled every time a radio ad touted "Austin's own" Heartless Bastards. (Silly, yes, but they were Cincinnatians first!) So I felt personally vindicated when Erika Wennerstrom said, "It's good to be home" during the band's Friday night set.

Other bands also gave Cincy shout-outs. Said Lily & Madeleine: "We used to come to Cincinnati all the time to visit our uncle, and we had to go to Kings Island; we were hoping to go there on this trip. ... Besides Kings Island, we were also going to visit Terry's Turf Club; I think that might be the best burger I've ever had."

The crowds: There were A LOT of people at the festival; estimates weren't immediately available, but organizers called Friday their best first day of the festival's three years, and event founder Bill Donabedian said he had never seen as many people on the lawn in front of the main stage as he did on Saturday. (For reference, last year's event drew 60,000 people during its three days.) Yet everyone was surprisingly polite and respectful of one another's personal space, even at the most packed sets.

People watching: With all of those people, there was plenty to look at, namely fans' outfits and a rainbow of hair colors. Popular fashion included tribal and southwestern prints, floral headbands, funny T-shirts, sundresses and crop tops. (And speaking of outfits, did anyone ever figure out why that guy was dressed as Batman?)

Great local food ... : You don't typically go to a music festival expecting great food, but Bunbury had enough good things to eat and drink that you could have something different each day. I loved the emphasis on local offerings, things that I'd seek out during my regular, non-festival life. I had the can't-get-enough-of-them frites and a crepe from Taste of Belgium; a tasty bahn mi and spring rolls from Cafe Lang Thang; my first (hopefully of many) empanada from Empanadas Aqui; a refreshing pineapple-strawberry pop from Streetpops; Dojo Gelato (the Freshman 15 -- peanut butter cookies and cream -- is as good as it sounds); and Island Noodles (OK, those aren't local, but they're packed with fresh veggies, and you get a lot of them for your money).

... and great local drinks: I washed all that food down with local brews from MadTree, Rhinegeist, Blank Slate and Christian Moerlein, plus a wonderful, summery lavender lemonade from Molly Wellmann's booth.

Lead vocalist Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy performs on the main stage Saturday night as the closing act. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)

Guitarist Joe Trouman of Fall Out Boy throws his hands in the air as fog clears the stage. Fall Out Boy closed the second day of Bunbury Music Festival on the main stage. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)

Vocalist Eric Nally of Foxy Shazam steals the attention of the crowd as he steps over equipment to reach out to concertgoers during their performance Saturday night. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)

Frank Hammonds, left, and Stephen Campbell of The Upset Victory kick of Friday's entertainment at the Amphitheater stage during Bunbury Music Festival on Sawyer Point. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)

Frank Hammonds, left, and Stephen Campbell of The Upset Victory kick of Friday's entertainment at the Amphitheatre stage during Bunbury Music Festival on Sawyer Point. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)

Children attending Bunbury Music Festival serve as fans in training as they follow their parents around from band to band. Brian Honaker and his son Brogy stand to watch local indie rock band The Upset Victory Friday afternoon. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)

Extending along the Ohio River at Sawyer Point and Yeatman's Cove, those attending Bunbury Music Festival find themselves checking maps to find their favorite bands. (Photo: The Enquirer/Madison Schmidt)